Dent-removing hand tool



G. N. CHARTIER DENT-REMOVING HAND TOOL April 24, 1962 Filed Feb. 19, 1960 Inventor GUY CHART/ER 7% Attorney United States Patent 2 Claims. (Cl. 8115) This invention relates to a metal working instrument of the kind which may be used in automobile body and fender work when straightening dents and other deformations in a motor car or other vehicle, resulting from collision with other vehicles or objects.

The problem of removing dents from panels and fenders of motor vehicles is well known in the trade, and it has been the common practice either to repair these dents by hammering from the rear or by filling the dents with solder or plastic and grinding to a smooth level finish.

With present-day construction, door panels, fenders, etc. often are enclosed and repair of dents has necessitated opening the back of the panel for access to hammer out the dents.

Some tools have been devised for use in repairing dents by using a hammer and means for pulling the dent back to its original shape. However, no tool has been produced which enables an operator to carry out the steps of applying the tool to a dent, screwing the tool into engagement with the metal without the use of another tool for such operation, such as a screw driver, pulling the metal back to its normal position by impact force applied by a jerk hammer, and removing the tool from engagement from the metal by direct action of the tool itself.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a metal working tool, designed for simple and eflicient handling, by means of which dents or other deformations can be removed from metal. It is a further object to provide such a tool which can be engaged with and disengaged from metal surfaces to be worked without the need of additional tools for such purposes, i.e. screwdrivers.

It is also an object of the invention to provide metalengaging members, such as screws, hooks, etc. to permit easy replacement of the working parts and further to provide a versatile tool adaptable for use in various types of body work.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention is directed to a metal straightening tool having a bar with a stop member at one end, a hammer member slidably mounted on the bar for impact engagement with the stop member, and metal engaging means including a sheet metal gripper having a head adapted to be held in a socket in the end of the bar for driving engagement with the bar, a nut threadably engageable with the end of the bar having a flange cooperating with the head and socket to retain the sheet metal gripper in direct driving engagement with the bar, and locking means between said hammer and the bar whereby the bar may be rotated by direct rotation of the hammer member.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tool illustrating the mode of operation to remove a dent;

FIGURE 2 is a view partly in section, illustrating the application of the tool to a dent;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view illustrating the components of the tool head;

FIGURE 4 illustrates an embodiment of the tool head used in dent pulling; and

FIGURE 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the tool head used in dent pulling.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference "ice numerals refer to like parts throughout the specification, the numeral 1 indicates a metal bar, on one end of which is a stop member 2 which may be in the form of a hand grip. The stop member may be in any form, such as a T, and has been illustrated in its preferred form as a round grip to fit the hand of an operator.

The stop member 2 is firmly fixed on the end of the bar 1 so that it will not be dislodged by the impact of the hammer member 3 which is freely slidable on the bar 1. The hammer member 3 is of sufficient weight to provide a heavy impact when moved along the bar 1 against the stop member 2.

An internally threaded nut 4 is adapted to be threaded on to the threaded end 5 of bar 1. The outer extremity of the nut 4 has a narrowed aperture 4w communicating with the internally threaded portion, the purpose of which will be described shortly.

The face of the threaded end of bar 1 is provided with a socket 6, preferably a hexagonal socket to receive the head 8 of a conventional self-tapping sheet metal screw 7 and hold it against turning movement.

In assembling the nut 4 and screw 7 on the bar 1, a washer 9 is placed on the shank of the screw 7, the head 8 is fitted into the hexagonal socket 6, and the nut 4 is threaded on the threaded end 5 of the bar 1 with the end of the screw 7 extending through the aperture 411 in nut 4. The head 8 of screw 7 is larger than aperture 4a, creating a shoulder which holds the screw 7 firmly when the nut 4 is threaded into position.

As standard sheet metal screws may be used in this device, the washer 9 may be used to ensure that the screw head is prevented from passing through the aperture 4a, where a small headed screw is used.

In FIGURES 4 and 5, two variations are shown for use as metal grippers instead of the sheet metal screw 7. FIGURE 4 shows a hook-shaped gripper 12 which is adapted to be applied to the edges of panels for pulling them back into shape. FIGURE 5 shows a flange-like narrow hook 12a which is adapted to be slid between door panels or other sections of the automobile body where only a narrow edge is available to be gripped.

These two embodiments are mounted on the bar 1 in a manner similar to the screw 7, save that a bolt 10 having a threaded nut 11 is used to attach the hook 12 or to the nut 4.

The bar is provided with a transverse metal dowel 15 which is engageable with a channel 14 in the face of the hammer member 3. It will be apparent that when the dowel 15 is engaged in channel 14, the hammer member 3 may be used to transmit turning movement to the bar 1 and the screw 7 mounted in the end thereof.

Also, I have provided a spring 16 on the bar 1 between the nut 4 and the dowel 15, to act as a friction member to retard any turning movement of the nut 4 on the bar 1 which would tend to loosen the nut 4 during operation.

The bar 1 has a left hand thread so that when the operator turns the bar 1, either directly by the stop member 2 or by means of the hammer member being in driving engagement with the bar through the locking action of the dowel 15 and the chanel 14, the nut 4 will be tightened on bar 1.

The operation of the tool will now be described.

With the tool assembled as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, using the elements shown in FIGURE 3, a small pick, e.g., an ice pick, may be used to punch a number of holes in the dented portion, say 1 /2 apart. Then the sheet metal screw 7 is inserted into one hole, and the hammer member is brought into engagement with bar 1 by moving the hammer member 3 down the bar 1 until the dowel 15 engages in the channel 14. The self tapping screw 7 then is screwed into the hole four or five turns until a firm grip is secured between the dent and the tool.

Then, the hammer'member 3 is slid forcibly upwards against the stop member 2 to return the metal to its desired shape due to the impact hammer-like blow against the stop member. The tool is removed from engagement with the hole by unscrewing it in the same manner referred to hereinabove. This operation may be repeated using such of the holes which are necessary to restore the metal to its required level, following which the surface may be ground in theusual maner, using lead or plastic as a filler, to produce the desired finish.

It might be expected that the tool would pull itself out of the holes provided in the metal, but this is not so. When a hole is made in metal, such as by a pick, a flare or ridge is created around the hole, which provides a good binding thread for the self-tapping metal screw.

{When the part to be worked is hard to get at, it may be necessary to screw and unscrew the tool by means of the stop member 2.

It should also be pointed out that the main point of wear is in the sheet metal screw 7. However, due to the simplicity of this invention, it takes but a moment to remove the nut 4 and substitute a new screw when needed, without disabling the tool for any length of time. Replacement screws are readily available at small cost because standard sheet metal screws may be used.

When using the attachments shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 it will be apparent that no turning or screwing movement will be required.

Since modifications of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a metal straightening tool, a bar having a stop member on one end, a hammer member slidably mounted on the bar for impact engagement with the stop member, and metal engaging means on the opposite end of the bar, said metal-engaging means including a sheet metal gripper having a head at one end adapted to be held in a socket in the end of the bar for direct driving engagement with the bar and a metal gripper member at the other end, a nut threadably engageable with the end of said bar having a flange cooperating with the head and socket to retain the sheet metal gripper in direct driving engagement with said bar, and positionable, locking means between said hammer member and the bar comprising a dowel member extending transversely through the bar at the end adjacent the nut, and a channel in the end of said hammer member adapted to engage the dowel, whereby the sheet metal gripper is maintained in direct drivingengagement with the bar and a hammer member to engage the sheet metal gripper in the aperture in the metal to be straightened.

2. A metal straightening tool as claimed in claim 1, in which a coiled spring member is provided on the bar between said nut and said dowel, whereby the nut and the hammer member are brought into frictional engagement when the hammer member is in direct driving engagement with the bar and substantially prevents loosening of the nut.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,658 Sanchez Aug. 5, 1952 2,749,795 Boykin June 12, 1956 2,791,926 Guyton May 14, 1957 2,799,190 Awot July 16, 1957 2,934,984 Woodman May 3, 1960 2,941,429 Mason June 21, 1960 

